


In Cold Blood

by rainbowwrites



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Blood and Violence, F/M, M/M, Shower Sex, Torture, a lot of these are going to happen later on but you're warned now, yep its the zombies au no one asked for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2018-12-09 13:10:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11669781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowwrites/pseuds/rainbowwrites
Summary: Communications had been lost about three months into the virus’ takeover. Borders were closed, other countries put up travel bans to protect their own citizens, Lucis withdrew in an attempt to save itself. Places that may have wanted to offer help were bound by their imperial occupation. King Regis had been firm and calm when he addressed his public, but it had not taken long for everyone to realise they were on their own.He may have been outwardly calm, but Noctis seethed. There had to be some way to bring Niflheim to justice for this. There was no way they could be allowed to wipe out an entire nation.Modern zombie apocalypse AU.





	1. Chapter 1

People had their suspicions as to where the virus came from, of course, but nothing could be pinned down. There was no hard evidence to say Niflheim had really outdone themselves in the development of bioweapons, but people knew. There was no other place it could have come from – no scientists in Lucis would have dreamed of working on such a thing. They worked on postponing death, prolonging life, things that tinged people’s voices with hope and the comfort of just a little more time.

They never tried to bring the dead back. It crossed no one’s mind to weaponise the ones that had been lost. Apparently nothing was sacred in Niflheim, not even their own people.

Communications had been lost about three months into the virus’ takeover. Borders were closed, other countries put up travel bans to protect their own citizens, Lucis withdrew in an attempt to save itself. Places that may have wanted to offer help were bound by their imperial occupation. King Regis had been firm and calm when he addressed his public, but it had not taken long for everyone to realise they were on their own.

He may have been outwardly calm, but Noctis seethed. There had to be some way to bring Niflheim to justice for this. There was no way they could be allowed to wipe out an entire nation.

They were barely past the start, only 7 months since the first cases had been reported and yet wipe out seemed likely. Apart from his friends (who Noctis had desperately brought together because losing them too would end him) and Iris, who Gladiolus had instantly sought out, Noctis couldn’t remember the last time he saw another living person. Even his father had been unreachable and Noctis just had to hope that he was faring as well. He couldn’t think about how his father had been getting older, how he walked slower now. He – they – just had to keep going.

Noctis wished he knew exactly why they had to. Maybe to avenge all Lucis had once been. Maybe to find a way to rebuild for those who remained. Maybe it was simply to not let the Niffs have the satisfaction of killing him. But Noctis would not die here, in this barren mockery of what had once been his home.

Neither would the others. He knew that much for certain.

Some days, Noctis would wonder if they all should have stayed in the Citadel. But the Niffs (bastards, all of them) had targeted them there, when the shock was still fresh and their guard had been down. The palace had been no safer than anyone else, and Ignis had been right about their need to keep a low profile. Still, sometimes Noctis wondered if it was still safer than what they had.

What they had was a house abandoned by its tenants, small enough that they could keep a track of all potential openings. Prompto had spent the first few weeks there setting traps around, both to keep the dead out and warn the group if they were coming. They had all been amazed by how resourceful he had been.

For about two months, it had worked. It had kept them safe from the outside and no one had found them. They salvaged what they could and worked to keep each other alive.

***

“Sometimes it feels like we’re the only ones left.” Prompto mused, watching the sun set out of one of the bedroom windows. Downstairs, Noctis could hear the muffled sound of Ignis in the kitchen while Gladiolus and Iris talked amongst themselves. It would have been nice, had the world not been ending.

“We’re not.” Noctis had tried to mimic the firm, assuring way his father had made his speeches but it came across strained and tense. He couldn’t blame Prompto for feeling that way, but if it only was the five of them left, what could they do? It would be the end. There had to be people surviving as they did. Next to him, Prompto moved his gaze from the window to Noctis and smiled. It looked wrong on Prompto’s face – he used to smile with his whole face. His eyes would light up and no one could resist smiling along. His mouth might have been smiling, but his eyes were tired. His voice was soft when he spoke, like he had no energy to argue his point.

“I know that, dude. Just feels that way, is all.” Noctis couldn’t argue with him there. All they needed was one other person. Just a way of knowing that they were not all that remained of Lucis. If there were still people, they could still salvage something. But what good was royalty without its people? What point was there to running a country if there were no people to protect? Noctis couldn’t bear to think that this was how it would end – with the total annihilation of his people while he hid. He should be fighting back, finding a way to bring those responsible to justice. He should be throwing himself into bringing what the Niffs did to light so those who could still fight against them could see what monsters they were.

“It won’t stay this way. We’ll find a way to fix it.” Noctis wasn’t sure they could; he had no idea how. But he had to do something. The day Prompto lost hope would be the day Noctis did too. As long as he still had that smile and optimism, Prompto would keep the group going. Noctis wondered if he realised. Prompto perked up a little, taking Noctis’ certainty at face value. He knew Prompto wasn’t stupid – that Prompto knew Noctis was slowly cracking under the weight like the rest of them. Sometimes it was best not to read into the way people were.

“Yeah, we’ll do something. We just gotta figure out how.”

Ignis was calling them downstairs, but Noctis could see Prompto walked like a slight weight had been lifted from him. It would return again in a matter of days, he knew, but for tonight Noctis could have something resembling his old friend back and not the man the world had forced him to become. Ignis had barely changed – he had adapted, but let nothing show. Noctis wondered what went on under the surface, but he was grateful for Ignis’ continued resolve. Ever the strategist, he planned each day to the next.

“I know it’s not much, but we need to make our supplies last.” Ignis had managed to make a small meal from what they had left, but living ration to ration meant his talents at gourmet cooking were lost in favour of making what they had linger and giving them the basics.

“We’ll do another run tomorrow.” Gladiolus muttered from where he was sitting with Iris. Noctis saw the way she perked up, but knew there was no way Gladiolus would let her go. His protectiveness had gone up in spades since they had left their father with the king.

On some level, Noctis felt Gladiolus might have been preparing to lose his father. After all, that was the risk of being the King’s Shield. Clarus would have to give his life to save the king in the same way Gladiolus may have to give his for Noctis. It was a thought better left in the recesses of Noctis’ mind, where he could tuck it away long enough to forget his friends were sworn in some way to die so he could live.

But Iris wasn’t sworn to anyone. Gladiolus took that responsibility and bore it with pride, but he wouldn’t let Iris be the one to make that sacrifice. Noctis couldn’t either – she was still so young. He knew she wanted to help and knew she had to because they needed every pair of hands they could get, but Iris had proved herself in other ways. Prompto had taken to showing her how the various traps worked and how to maintain them and she had picked up on the work fast. It meant someone knew how to keep the perimeters secure when Prompto went on runs.

Gladiolus still wasn’t happy with her out on the front lines of their shelter like that, but it was a compromise. And Prompto was fast – they needed him to get supplies. If something went wrong, they could rely on him to outrun the dead.

Noctis wasn’t comfortable calling them anything else yet. None of them were. No one had chosen this, and he still had respect for the people who had been desecrated by the Niffs.

Gladiolus would go with Prompto and Noctis, while Ignis stayed with Iris to hold down the fort. He had gone the last two times, and if Gladiolus stayed it would be with a sulking Iris. They had done runs time and again, but they still filled Noctis would a sort of restless anxiety. Anything could go wrong at any time and he wasn’t ignorant enough to think that they would always make it through in one piece. Things had gone wrong before, of course – no one survived this long without something going wrong, the world was never that kind. But they had always found a way through.

Noctis just had to keep hoping that they would carry on finding a way through. For all his brave thoughts of sticking this out, he had no idea how he would carry on if something happened to any of them.

***

The three set off early the next morning with a list and strict instructions from Ignis. _Don’t take risks for the sake of it; if it’s going to be too difficult to get something then leave it and we can try again another time_. It was his way of asking them all to be safe and come back. Noctis knew Ignis worried about them when he stayed behind on runs – that was the problem with not going. Noctis had spent days pacing and fretting when the other three had gone on without him.

They would come back for Ignis. He could fuss over Iris in the meantime – Gladio had already done his usual talk about keeping her safe. With Prompto gone, she would be the only one going out to maintain the traps.

Any stores and homes nearby had been picked clean – there had been little remaining when they arrived, and Noctis knew they had spent days going through all buildings on the slim chance that there would be something useful left behind.

“We should have gone for a farm.” Prompto said in an off-handed way, almost ambling along the street, but Noctis saw the way his hand kept going back to the handle of his gun and the way he kept his crowbar on hand. Even Gladiolus, who looked almost bored, kept himself armed. A sudden ambush had taught them that one – there was no telling when a horde would appear. They had been lucky to make it through that one alive.

“Well if you find one, we’ll go there.”

“There won’t be farms in the city, Gladio. We’d have to go to the country!” Prompto looked much livelier than he had the night before. Noctis was glad for the spring in his step, even if he looked over his shoulder every other second. For the most part, they had kept the area clean and as long as they kept quiet, the remaining dead should leave them be.

“Maybe Specs will drive us to one if we find some gas.” They had no idea how much fuel the regalia still had, just that it got them away from the centre of the city. It was definitely not enough to get them into the countryside. Noctis remembered driving out there before everything went to hell, and Ignis would always need to stop to fill up, but Prompto hummed cheerily, like it was a real possibility. After all that had happened, he remained ever the optimist. Noctis had never been more thankful for someone’s chatter.

It took them the better part of the day to get into a part of the city they didn’t already recognise. By that point, Gladiolus was already talking about finding somewhere to bunk down for the night. They needed to have somewhere picked and relatively secured before it got dark. They would still sleep in shifts to be safe and Noctis groaned mentally about it. It was bad enough that his sleep time was cut short by a third, but the silence and complete responsibility to keep an eye on anything that could hurt his sleeping friends always got to him. Gladiolus had been raised for such events, but it was comforting to know Prompto always got restless during his turn.

They went through a system: someone would point at somewhere they could stay, they would discuss all the potential entry points and flaws and decide to move on. Noctis thought they must have had enough back-ups to actually set up a small camp right there.

“ _Noctis!_ ”

He paused. That had been a female voice, but so faint Noctis couldn’t place who it was. He looked around, searching for whoever was calling him. Maybe it was a civilian who had recognised him, or someone from the palace who had gotten out. Except it sounded so familiar – he knew that voice, its owner was right there on the edge of his mind.

“ _Noctis! Quickly, come here!_ ” She sounded slightly desperate and this time Gladiolus and Prompto stopped too, looking back to Noctis like he could explain it. He shrugged helpfully. Whoever it was, they were the best bet they had at secure shelter and the sun was already setting. They followed the direction they thought the voice had come from, Prompto already asking Noctis if he knew who it was.

He did once he saw her. Noctis almost couldn’t believe it.

Everyone had been so excited that Lady Lunafreya would be visiting. Her presence always brought a sense of hope over Lucis and Noctis was always pleased to see her. He thought she would have been rescued somehow, or under the protection of the Citadel. But there she was, in the doorway of what had once been a bank, waving them over.

Noctis ran. He could hear Gladiolus and Prompto calling out after him, but seeing another person alive – a person he knew – meant the world. Prompto was wrong; they were not the only ones left.

He almost cried when she hugged him, laughing about how relieved she was that he was alright.

“Have you been out here on your own?!” Prompto sounded awed and appalled at once. He had never met Lunafreya before, not in person. Noctis knew he wanted to and just wished it didn’t have to be like this.  
“No, no. It’s just myself and Nyx, but I haven’t been travelling alone.” Lunafreya gestured into the building, ushering the three in as she did so. Noctis could tell from Gladiolus’ face that it was not completely secure, but it would do. Especially with two extra people. He could see Nyx now, leaning against a wall near the door. He nodded to them.

“Good to see someone else made it.”

“We’ve got two more – Ignis and my sister. They’re back where we’re based.” Nyx and Gladiolus spoke like soldiers. Like this was a status report, and not something to be fucking ecstatic over. But the answer seemed to please Nyx and he smiled a little more this time, looking less tense as Lunafreya walked towards him.

In the end, it had been Prompto who insisted they come back with them, but only because he said it before anyone else had the chance. It would mean they would need to get more supplies from a city already picked to the bone, but it also meant two more people to help out. It meant keeping two more people somewhere Noctis could keep an eye on them. Ignis and Iris would be happy to see them. They could do this.

They would go out in the morning, get what they needed, and go back. Noctis was certain of that now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW this really did me in but I promise most of the scene setting is done, from now on it'll get into the proper story and group! Its been a real long time since I actually wrote something with multiple parts.
> 
> I'll post at the beginning of each chapter if there's anything that people should be forewarned about and how to avoid them (if its not the whole chapter itself)!


	2. Chapter 2

Spirits had been higher with the addition of Nyx and Lunafreya. Iris had been especially peppy, talking endlessly with Luna about how nice it was to have another girl and showing off how Prompto had trusted her with learning how to set up traps. 

It had been the sign everyone had needed that things had the potential to look up – if they had all survived separately for this long, who else had managed it? There could be others they knew or civilians, dotted around the country and waiting for word that things were finally changing.

It felt like this was what Noctis was waiting for, showing them that they could still do this. Lucis had fallen, but it was not dead yet. 

It was still a monumental task, but Noctis felt like they could all make sense of it. That tired, unsure look Prompto had given him before they had set out was gone, replaced by his usual cheer and optimism. Even Ignis seemed to take in the boost in morale, allowing others to take more of the responsibilities he had assumed for himself.

With another trained fighter around, Gladiolus could split the time he would usually spend scoping the nearby area and checking their surroundings. It must have felt familiar to Nyx too as he took on those patrols like he had been with them from day one. Sometimes they would work together, but it seemed that Gladiolus finally had more time to spend with Iris beyond some evenings and days when they were left behind together. It had been good for both of them and it was nice to see them talking about something other than the hell they had found themselves in.

It had reminded Noctis – maybe all of them – how young Iris really was.

No one should have to spend their teenage years fighting for survival. They could not change that for her or take back all the time that had already been lost, but they could give that time for family back. 

Noctis had seen the way Ignis had smiled as he watched Gladiolus play fight with Iris, for once pleased to hear her screaming as she ran from him. Everything almost felt normal. Aside from the few patrols where Gladiolus or Nyx would come back with bloodied weapons or the occasional sounds of gunshots from Prompto’s post, everything seemed almost domestic. It was like they could forget about the dead walking outside for a few days.

They still had to make their supplies last, but Lunafreya and Nyx had added their own along with ways they had learned to make everything last. Lunafreya may have been raised as Noctis had been, in security and luxury, but she had proven herself adaptable and resourceful. Her calm demeanour had been reflected by the whole group, and Noctis was sure Ignis had been able to breathe a little easier for the first time since this had begun; now there was someone else to help hold the group together and act as the voice of reason.

Always underneath it all, when they were not busy with others, was the bubbly chatter between Iris and Prompto. Sometimes he would be showing her something new he had been working on, nodding in concentration when she offered her opinions. But in his attempt to make Iris feel useful without having her do supply runs, Prompto had made a friend of her.

They matched each other’s energy, and Gladiolus had mentioned a few times that he was glad to have someone to keep Iris’ spirits up. Noctis was glad Prompto had someone to bounce off – if he was alone in his cheer, no doubt the seriousness and weight of the group would have dragged him down.

“No, no it goes across like this,” Prompto said.

“Like a tripwire?” A pause, followed by Prompto making an unsure noise that Noctis snorted slightly at.

“Kinda? But it’s not a tripwire, this doesn’t trigger it.”

Iris hummed in understanding. The two were sitting in the middle of the living room, picking apart something that was way over Noctis’ head. Gladiolus was pretending to be reading a book he had picked up at some point, but Noctis could see him smiling occasionally at the two of them.

Noctis was supposed to be helping Nyx take stock of their medical supplies (Lunafreya had told him that it helped Nyx to do little tasks like this, that it kept him busy, kept his mind away from the Glaives he had left behind). He had stopped being useful about halfway through, instead looking at the group around him. 

Ignis was talking with Lunafreya, both of them looking more relaxed than Noctis had seen them in a while, even before the dead took over. He couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but that somehow seemed less important than the fact that they had the time and security to just talk.

Noctis could get used to things being this way. 

He knew at some point they would have to move forward and make a plan to get their nation back, but he had forgotten what it felt like to just breathe and enjoy the day. He missed his home still, and he wondered frequently how the Citadel was holding up, but Noctis had faith in them. If his little group had survived – if Lunafreya and Nyx had survived – then surely somewhere as secure as the Citadel would be fine.

“Do we really need more? I’m pretty sure you have us surrounded.” He joked with Prompto, who was still explaining each piece of metal and wood to an endlessly patient and curious Iris. He got two incredulous looks in response.

“Can’t be too careful, Noct. The more of these we have, the less we have to worry about Gladio and Nyx going out for checks.” 

Noctis could see Ignis nodding along with Prompto, obviously listening in to what he was doing.

He did have a point – everyone felt a lot happier letting only one person go check the perimeters with so many traps around. It meant Prompto or Iris (but Noctis could never remember the last time she went out alone) still had to go and fix or clean things every now and again, but for the most part Gladiolus and Nyx were checking that everything was working. 

“Alright then, more work for you two I guess.” Noctis conceded with a small laugh and a shrug.

“I’m gonna get you in on this one day, dude.” Prompto laughed back, now watching as Iris pieced everything back together and occasionally helping her when she got something wrong. 

Noctis shook his head.

“Nah, this stuff was always your area. I’ll stick to what I know.” It seemed everyone was smiling, even Nyx. Maybe it was somewhat morbid, to talk about a potentially life or death situation so freely, but Noctis felt almost removed from it, like he had found a small sanctuary amongst the destruction and nothing could reach them there.

It was a naïve thought, he knew, but it was a nice one, better than so many thoughts that had gone through his mind over the past months, so Noctis let himself think it. Just for a little while.

***

The news – like all news these days – had taken almost a week to reach them. But Noctis had been met that morning with a collection of solemn, quiet faces and had known something was wrong instantly.

No one was missing from their group, so no one had been hurt. He had no idea what could have brought them all down and stared in confusion. 

Lunafreya had gently taken his arm, guiding him to a chair that Prompto had recently stood from.

In the corner, Iris was crying. Gladiolus had his arm around her but his face looked both tense and tired, like he thought he was prepared for something but still hurt when it happened. Even Ignis’ eyes were downcast, looking for the first time as worn down as he probably felt. Prompto was constantly moving – fidgeting his hands, flitting as if he was going to go to someone but had no idea who needed his comfort the most. Noctis was finding himself dreading whatever had happened more with each passing second, hating that he seemed to be the last to find out.

Lunafreya was looking at Nyx almost desperately, having a silent conversation as to who should be the one to speak. It seemed the responsibility had fallen silently to them, but Nyx looked like the professional soldier Noctis had always seen him be – hard eyes, broad stance, shaking his head slightly. It was a far cry from the man Noctis had been getting to know.

In the end it was Prompto who knelt gently in front of Noctis, taking his hands and smiling sadly. Lunafreya stayed beside him, hand resting on Noctis’ arm and ready to jump in if Prompto found himself faltering. The anticipation was going to drive Noctis mad.

“Hey, buddy—“

“What’s happened?” Noctis hated how his voice sounded – weak and unsure, letting the others know how scared he really was. He felt Lunafreya’s hand tighten slightly on his arm. It may have been intended as reassuring, but it just reminded Noctis that there was something to be reassuring about.

“There’s been, uh, I mean...we’ve heard some news…shit. Okay, so the radio works sometimes, yeah?” Prompto had gotten it to work intermittently a couple of months ago – they never got signal long enough to do anything with it, but it always confirmed that the world carried on while Lucis burned. Noctis nodded, wishing Prompto would just tell him what had happened instead of stammering and shifting uncomfortably.

“Okay, yeah, so we got it on again, some station in Accordo, and they were, um, they were saying the…Noct, I’m so sorry. They’re saying the Citadel has fallen. Everyone’s saying it’s been wiped out and-…and the King is dead.” Prompto probably continued his condolences and at some point Lunafreya was saying something in that gentle voice of hers, but Noctis heard it as if underwater. A part of him thought he should react – he should cry, or scream, or do _something_ , but he could only sit there.

Of course Iris was crying. Hers and Gladiolus’ father must have died with his own. Ignis must have lost his uncle. Noctis had no idea which of the Kingsglaive had stayed behind – Nyx could have lost them all.

“There’s no word on you. Must’ve gotten out that you weren’t there. They’ll be coming for you next, Your Highness.” There was no inflection in the way Nyx spoke, and Lunafreya looked at him sadly. As if killing his family and friends had not been enough, now Noctis was putting the few he had left in danger by being alive.

“They’re rumours, Noct. But I…I’m sorry.” Prompto still had Noctis’ hands in his own, looking at him with pleading eyes. 

He really should say something. His whole body felt numb and it was almost as if he was watching this through glass; seeing a different Noctis be told his father was dead. He watched an Iris he didn’t know cry for her own father, and a Gladiolus he had never met try to hold back his own grief for her.

It was too much, because he did know them. And this was not another version of himself. It was _his_ father that was gone. The evacuation had been so rushed – Noctis had never said a proper goodbye.

When he stood it felt as though his body would give in at any moment, crushed under the weight of shock and loss. Noctis wanted to be alone when they both caught him, but Lunafreya’s hand still rested on his arm and Prompto had stood with him, not letting go. Nyx had gone to Ignis, the two talking too quietly to be heard. They would be expected to carry on through this, all of them.

“I-…outside. I’m going outside.” There was a small garden with the house – Prompto had first started experimenting with traps out there. It was where he sat with Iris. Lunafreya let Noctis go when he started to walk away, but Prompto had held on for a second. 

In the end, they all let him walk away.

He must have been out there for hours waiting for the news to really get him. The sun was starting to set when Ignis came out, gently reminding Noctis he needed to eat and guiding him back inside. The energy seemed to have been drained from them all – that hope that they had brought back with them shattered and irreparable.

It felt like the beginning of the end that Noctis had tried so hard to prevent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One day I'll actually have a schedule for updating I've been visiting family/out of the country/not very well recently so I haven't had much of a chance to get this done. Thank you to everyone who's commented so far! I'm glad this has some interest, hopefully I'll get the next chapter out much quicker <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More bad news hit the group as they struggle to cope.

The days passed in somewhat of a blur for Noctis. Each morning brought a few wondrous seconds where everything was as it was meant to be, before memory came and wrecked it. Each morning was like hearing the news all over again and the brief moments Noctis could cling to as respite were growing shorter and shorter.

His father was dead. Everyone in the Citadel was gone.

He had seen little of Iris, but everyone could hear her crying at night. She would try to be strong during the days, bless her heart and all its strength, but as always, her own grief slipped through the cracks when she thought no one else would listen.

In another time, when Noctis was not stilled by the weight of his own loss, he would have gone to her, but he knew Gladiolus was with her, keeping himself in check so Iris could have the space to mourn herself. He would never let Iris see him break, Noctis knew, because he was all she had left of that life and he would be strong.

Noctis had heard Ignis talking to Gladiolus, hushed and away from everyone else. It was lost under the others – Lunafreya was sitting with Iris, speaking in her soft voice about the flowers she had loved in Tenebrae. Nyx was continuing as usual, though Noctis could never figure out if it was in the name of his fallen comrades or just because someone had to have it together and for once Ignis could not handle the group alone.

“You don’t have to do this, Gladio.”

“Iggy, seriously, I’m alright—“

“I won’t stop you trying to be strong for Iris, but at least talk to _someone_. You have the same right to grieve as she and Noctis do,” Ignis’ voice had been gentle, like he was trying to coax Gladiolus into realising that. When Gladiolus said nothing, Ignis had just sighed.

“Well, consider it. If ever you need it, you know where I am.”

And both of them had carried on like nothing had happened. Noctis never knew if Gladiolus took Ignis up on that offer, but hoped that he did. It wasn’t as if Noctis was blind to the Amicitias and what they were going through – it was the same pain he dealt with each day. But Noctis was drained to his core with learning to cope with what was becoming of the world, what he had already lost.

He should have said goodbye to his father. He should have taken that time. Shit, he should have told him he loved him.

Now Noctis would never have that chance. He could only hope that his father knew.

Maybe it had been hypocritical of Ignis to corner Gladiolus like that, no matter how good his intentions had been. If Ignis had ever felt crushed under the weight of it all, if he had ever been struck with that awful realisation that his uncle was gone too, he was better at hiding it. He and Nyx had been the ones to keep going – to keep planning routine perimeter checks and taking stock of their supplies.

If Ignis needed to keep himself going to cope, then Noctis would not stop him. He just hoped it would not destroy him when there was nothing left to do. Though, who did Noctis think he was kidding – there was always something to do.

He would step up, he promised each day. He just needed a little more time – tomorrow, Noctis would do something useful. Tomorrow, he would take some of the weight off their shoulders and let Nyx and Ignis have their time.

Each time, tomorrow would come and Noctis would still be trapped under the fog in his head. Eventually he would give in, and make a promise for the next day.

By technicalities he was sure no one was even following anymore, Noctis was King now. He had to take charge, make decisions like a King should. Like his father would have done. He just could never take that first step, make a decision that everyone was leaving to Ignis and Nyx to make. He wondered if his father had struggled this much at first. Was it much different back then, when instead of undead there was a war Lucis stood no chance of winning?

Noctis had never considered his father ever struggling – he had always been King. He had made it look effortless. Noctis could only hope he would grow into it, once he could move again.

At least he had Prompto. Prompto had been an angel through it all.

Of course, Lunafreya had given Noctis the space he needed while offering gentle reassurances and reminders that she was there for him. But she also stood by Nyx, perhaps as the only person in their group who saw if he was grieving.

Prompto had been constant in Noctis’ comfort.

He would always lay a gentle hand on Noctis’ shoulder and tell him not to force himself when another day without stepping up passed. When Noctis holed himself away, Prompto would come to join him and make an effort to keep Noctis out of his own head. Whether he would talk about what everyone had done that day, or reminded Noctis of happier times or even just sat quietly (and who would have guessed, Prompto sitting in silence) while Noctis broke under the weight and raged against their new world.

He made sure Noctis was kept in the loop, without putting any pressure on him to take action. He made sure Noctis kept himself looked after, which he was sure Ignis appreciated immensely. Prompto stayed with him at night, stroking Noctis’ hair with gentle hands as he whispered about anything and everything, something to tune out the static so Noctis could sleep. In the mornings, Prompto would be there to make sure he got up.

Ignis and Nyx kept the group as a whole together. Lunafreya kept Nyx together. But Prompto had held Noctis together.

***

“We should head out again soon,” Noctis had managed possibly two weeks later in another attempt to drag himself up from underneath it all. Gladiolus had only looked at him and nodded, grunting in agreement.

Nyx must have had a retort on his mind, a frown deepening as he halted his quiet conversation with Lunafreya. Noctis wondered what it was now – what news had arisen this time to fuck everything over again. Maybe that stupid radio station was saying Lucis was out of everything, and no matter what they did they were going to starve to death.

“Perhaps it might be best if you stayed back,” Everyone looked to Nyx when he spoke, all conversation grinding to a halt. The tone he used suggested he knew something – something Noctis was unsure he wanted to hear. He had to, because they needed all the information and preparation they could get. He was just so tired of bad news already.

Things had looked so great when Nyx and Lunafreya had come back with them. Noctis wondered which god decided things were getting too easy for them. When no one else spoke up, Nyx continued.

“Might be best we all hold back for a few days, there’s been activity around recently.” Noctis felt slightly guilty, with Nyx mostly holding up the checks outside on his own. It was usually safe enough, but if there was something going on he should have brought back up.

“What kind of activity?” Again, Gladiolus spoke with a soldier’s voice. Noctis felt even worse – he was struggling just to follow the conversation and there was Gladiolus, suffering the same damn loss, ready to jump back into the fray. Noctis might have been the one to suggest it, but he definitely couldn’t lead the group through any more danger.

Gods damn it all, he could _not_ lose anyone else.

“You’re not going to like it.”

“Obviously. What are we dealing with?”

“MTs.”

Everyone looked to each other with a mixture of helplessness and disbelief. They were in no position to fight soldiers like that – they were barely keeping themselves alive. But it sparked a rage in Noctis and he could hold onto that, it was a feeling and it was something that could drag him out to stay true to his ideas. He was furious at the nerve of the Empire, bringing their monstrosities into Lucis like they hadn’t started this; like they already owned it.

Noctis wasn’t dead yet. This was _his_ land and he would defend it to the end.

Beside him, Prompto had gone stiff. When Noctis looked over, he saw wide, terrified eyes and felt a slight tremble in the hands holding his. Prompto must have heard stories of Magitek soldiers from anyone who had fought them. Cor had been giving Prompto some training because people knew he and Noctis were inseparable, and that could give anyone leverage over him.

Still, Prompto had never been in a real combat situation until all this started. It was one thing to fight corpses but engineered soldiers? That was something completely different.

Noctis figured that was what had Prompto so scared. He squeezed the hands in his a little, trying to make sure Prompto knew Noctis was there for him. He would still be there for him out there too.

Gladiolus, Nyx and Ignis had been talking, no doubt about tactics and how the hell they were supposed to do anything with another enemy to watch out for. For the most part, their group had survived on stealth - keep quiet, keep out of the way, be fast.

That wouldn’t work on MTs.

Whatever happened, Noctis was going to go. It wasn’t even stubbornness that he had suggested it – if there were any other people out there, they needed to know he was still alive. He wanted the Empire to understand that they had not crushed Lucis down yet. Noctis would see their lives rebuilt, no matter what it took.

Except that was a lie. He was trying so damn hard to push through the haze of grief and do something. If someone else were to die (Astrals, if he had to _watch_ one of them die) then he was sure it would destroy him.

He was hanging on by a thread, but it was all Noctis had. He would make it work.

“They seem to be sweeping buildings, like we do,”

“Must be checking for survivors.” Ignis said grimly. Anyone who had mobilised as a group would be a threat; they would be the most likely to survive. The Niffs wouldn’t care about ruling a nation of corpses. They would probably revel in how far Lucis had been dragged down.

Noctis said as much, voice laced with bitterness and loss. Prompto had looked down when he had, as if he were ashamed. Noctis was sure he was misreading it – no doubt he was just at a loss.

“Probably. But I don’t think that’s all it is,” Nyx pressed on, clearly hating being the bearer of even more bad news but as the only person who had seen the MTs, he was the only one who had any idea what was happening.

Lunafreya had been sitting beside him, clutching his hand in hers. She had just nodded silently with the conversation and Noctis had no idea what she could have been thinking. He wondered if her name had come up among the list of the dead – everyone knew she was on a state visit.  
At least Noctis knew that was a lie.

He nodded at Nyx to continue on. Whatever he was thinking, they all needed to know. They needed some idea of what the Empire was planning, even if it was based on speculation.

“I tailed some of them,” Lunafreya finally looked up at that, giving Nyx a worried look while Gladiolus muttered about not going out alone. Nyx just waved them both off.

“I know, but listen, they were taking stuff. Obviously nothing we needed, or else we’d have it, but they’re still taking things.”

“Why would the MTs do that? Surely the Empire is now much better supplied than we are?” Lunafreya made a point – between its occupied lands and the complete stop of trade to Lucis once borders closed, Niflheim would have more than enough.

“So no one here can have them. They’re picking everywhere clean. The Empire’s probably going to starve anyone left.”

While Noctis could still believe the Niffs would do that, it still left him feeling sick. They were talking about civilians who were barely keeping themselves alive and the Empire were making sure they would all die.

“To what end? Lucis cannot fight them back – if they wished for an invasion, they could easily carry one out. Why prolong it?” For all his eloquence, Ignis sounded the angriest he ever had. It simmered just under his voice, quiet and barely restrained. It was slightly terrifying, but everyone understood.

“They must have had some reports back from the Citadel – they wouldn’t leak news that the King was dead without knowing for sure, and there’s been nothing about either of you,” So Prompto must have been keeping the radio powered as much as he could, listening for news. “They’re smoking you out.”

Noctis could never place why, but his first thought on that statement was a passing wonder about when Nyx dropped the formalities around Lunafreya. He supposed travelling alone made titles pointless.

But while he was grieving, Noctis wasn’t stupid. He knew the Empire would be looking for him, and now Lunafreya too. Whether to bring her back to Tenebrae or not was up for debate – they no longer needed her as leverage over Lucis. The Empire already had her land and Ravus – Lunafreya may have been an Oracle, but even Gods weren’t sacred to the Empire.

Even if they did want Lunafreya alive, Noctis knew for certain that they needed him dead.

“What’s the plan, then?” Prompto asked, voice small and uncertain. It was the first time he had sounded lost since Noctis had spoken with him all those weeks ago.

This was his chance. This was the tomorrow he had kept putting off; if everyone there was prepared to put their lives on the line for him, Noctis needed to step up.

“We keep going. We’ll just have to go out further. They’re just robots; we can take them down too. We need those supplies.” Noctis had mustered all the conviction he could manage in his little speech, but Prompto had looked away at the mention of MTs.

Nyx had nodded at him, as did Gladiolus. Everyone was agreeing with him, steeling themselves for an even harsher future. Noctis was going to do this. He was going to make his father proud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One day I'll update regularly but apparently that isn't any time soon. But I haven't abandoned this! Everything's just been a bit hectic I'm afraid.
> 
> I'll be way more active on tumblr: ferreho-writes.tumblr.com


	4. Chapter 4

It was agreed the next day that a group should still go out. Noctis refused to hide away – MTs or no, he would be part of it. He needed to do something to get himself back together again, or he feared he would live in the fog of grief forever. There was no time for him to mourn.

He could do that when this was over. In the meantime, he could make his father proud.

They had made plans: in the short-term, they would go around the city and gather as much as they could before the MTs could get it. If by some luck they came across other survivors, they would give them all the information they had. That way, anyone else could either stockpile supplies themselves or know where to go if they needed something.

It was Noctis’ first step to being a true king. He wouldn’t let his people be left alone, in the dark. 

In the long-term, they needed to contact Ravus. The Empire was probably keeping him down by reminding him how unlikely it was that Lunafreya had survived. If she could get in contact and get the word out that both she and Noctis were alive (though Noctis doubted Ravus would care anywhere near as much about him), he would certainly raise hell. 

He would want his sister back, and the knowledge that Lucis still had a king would cause an uproar that the Empire would have to deal with. It would look too suspicious for him to die after that, so at the very least it should buy them time. 

It was slightly fantastical, but it was all they had. Prompto had taken it all seriously, enlisting Iris’ help in concentrating on their flimsy radio. The dedication they threw into their work reinvigorated the group a little and Gladiolus started to spend time planning routes with Nyx whilst Ignis made lists of what they needed to prioritise. 

Everyone seemed to know their place, until Noctis brought up that he needed a group for this run, and he needed more people this time. After all, they would hopefully be taking more back than usual and possibly be out for longer. They’d been set up in their base long enough to know it was well protected, but the new threat of MTs meant they needed at least one skilled fighter to stay behind should they be the ones to trigger traps off. 

Prompto and Iris had made efforts to conceal what they could, to make it harder for anything to try and get past. Once again, Niflheim was their biggest threat. 

Noctis wasn’t sure they could ever come back from this. Forget any talks of peace treaties and ceasefires in the past – Niflheim would need a totally new government for him to even consider it. But that was definitely getting ahead of himself. 

Since Nyx had been the ones to gather intel in the first place and had the most combat experience, he was a definite to go, so that eventually meant Lunafreya was also going – she reasoned that she had the best experience with healing and injuries, which could be the difference between life and death out there.

Noctis found it hard to argue with that. 

Prompto was their fastest and Iris was more than capable of maintaining the traps, but they also needed him to work on getting through to Ravus. He was happy to do whatever they needed (because he was a fucking angel) but being needed in two places at once clearly made him uneasy. He would argue for staying, only to come up with another reason to go and then vice versa.

“Even if we did get any kind of signal while everyone was gone, I doubt Ravus would listen to anyone except Lunafreya herself. It would be best to leave it with Iris and double our efforts once you return.” So it was Ignis that settled it in the end. Prompto was on the list. 

Ignis himself was up for debate. He was the most level-headed when left behind for runs and could easily hold down the fort with Iris, but he also knew better than anyone what they needed. He was also agile – if he went, they could send him and Prompto as scouts. 

On the other hand, Gladiolus would provide power and combat skills that they were otherwise relying on Nyx for. He also had survival training that they often relied on whenever he went on runs. Only one of them could go – Iris was capable, but no one person could be expected to stay back and Gladiolus would never let it be her anyway. 

Iris had put her own name forward and while it was true that she was fast and light-footed enough to keep up, Gladiolus instantly shot her down. It had been that way since the start, but this time Iris fought back.

“You can’t keep me here forever, Gladdy. At some point I’m gonna go out there, why not now, when there’s a big group?”

“Not the time, Iris. This is too important; we need people who already know how it works.” 

“You always say something like that! It’s always ‘not the right time’ or ‘not worth it’ or something else, how am I supposed to know what to do if you never let me? I want to help!”

“Then stay and work on getting to Ravus.” 

“You heard Iggy! He wouldn’t even listen to me if I did!” 

It went on like that for two days. Prompto tried to comfort Iris by reminding her they needed her to take his place while he was gone. It seemed everyone agreed that this was not the time for Iris to learn how supply runs worked, especially not with the new increased risk. 

Nyx tried to come to some middle ground by telling Gladiolus the two of them could go out with her once they were back, just around the nearby area. Even that seemed to sit wrong with him, but he told Nyx that he would think about it.

It wasn’t enough for Iris. Noctis felt for her; he knew how caging it could be to feel like you weren’t doing enough, but there would be too much riding on it – Gladiolus would want to go and he would be distracted from their main task in his effort to keep her safe. 

Again, it was Ignis who sat down with him. Prompto wondered out loud once what they would do without him and Noctis wasn’t sure, but things would definitely be much more heated without his and Lunafreya’s calm presences. 

“I’ll go, Gladio.”

“Iggy, look, it’s fine, you know I don’t mind—“

“No, it would be best if you stay with Iris.” Gladiolus just snorted at that.

“I think I’m the last person she wants to be alone with right now.” Ignis leaned forward to put his hand over Gladiolus’, voice taking on a softer tone when he spoke again. Prompto had once dubbed it his ‘mom voice’, which Ignis seemed to have mixed feelings about but always looked somewhat fond when he mentioned it.

“That’s why you need to. Don’t let this ruin your relationship, especially not now. You need each other and I know she knows that too, so take this opportunity. Spend time with her, and tell her why you really keep saying no.”

“She already knows.”

“I am sure she will appreciate the honesty, and you need to talk about it.”

That had settled it – Gladiolus would stay back and try to help Iris see all the reasons he wasn’t prepared to send her to the wolves and Ignis would go with the group. They would get everything together to prepare for being out in the city for so long and set out in two days’ time. 

Noctis wasn’t sure how he felt about it. A part of him was relieved to finally be doing something again after feeling like he had been stuck in limbo ever since the news of his father’s death had hit him, but another part was unsure that he was ready and another kept running over all the things that could go wrong. There were so many of them and they would be gone for much longer than usual – the longer they were away from safety, the smaller their chances got. 

There were few places safe enough to stay in left in Insomnia. They had already struggled with this before.

“You’re gonna make your head hurt if you keep thinking that much.” Prompto interrupted his thoughts, fiddling idly with his camera. He never used it anymore, but it was important and one of the few things Prompto had taken with him. He said he knew it was stupid to hang onto it, but Noctis didn’t agree. He had pictures of happier times on there and that was what they were working towards now. They were little snippets of life before everything fell apart and often Noctis wished they had the power to charge it so he could just see them again. 

Noctis wanted a time where Prompto could take pictures again. It was still weird seeing him go out without his camera. 

“Some of us think a lot, dude.” He commented back, hearing Prompto huff slightly. He was sure it was supposed to be a laugh, but clearly Noctis wasn’t the only one worrying about how things were going to go.

“Well think about better things, then.”

“Speak for yourself.” 

Prompto had just shrugged in response, putting his camera back down and actually looking at Noctis. Fuck, he looked really tired. Had Prompto been doing okay with everything that had happened? He had taken it the worst when this all started. Was he still struggling with it?

Even if he was, Prompto had put it all aside to take care of Noctis. There was something nice about knowing that Prompto would always be there for him, but Noctis couldn’t help but feel guilty about it. He wasn’t sure if anyone had checked in with Prompto while he was on duty watching over Noctis.

Ignis and Lunafreya probably had – Ignis had always taken care of their group, and Lunafreya had instantly gotten along with Prompto. Noctis had always known they would like each other – he would tell Prompto as much when they were in high school. 

Still, he was supposed to be Prompto’s best friend. He should have made space in his grief to look after him as well.

“Nyx has fought them before, you know. He’ll know what to do and we’ve all done this before, we’ll be okay.” Even if Noctis wasn’t sure himself, he wasn’t about to tell Prompto that. Maybe he could reassure himself in the process. Prompto nodded, humming thoughtfully.

“Yeah, I guess. It’s just…new. Gonna be a lot riskier than before.” Prompto’s voice sounded small in a way he tried so hard to never be. Prompto had always prided himself on being the cheer and optimism of their team.

That was a hell of a lot of pressure to put on himself, given the circumstances.

“We’ve just gotta be clever about it. We can do that.” 

Prompto nodded again in response, but seemed a little more certain about it. Noctis knew he hadn’t completely quelled all of his fears and Prompto would continue to worry until it was all over, but it was something. It was time he started repaying Prompto for all the care he had given him.

Prompto would never accept anything like that; he would insist it was the least he could have done and it was no trouble for him. He really was something else. 

“We should probably have an early night, right? Sleep while we can.” Noctis got a small smile for his efforts and he wished again that Prompto’s camera had power. He took so many pictures of everything and everyone else – when they had fixed it all, Noctis would insist that he take more of himself. Royal decree or something like that. 

But first he had to do something about how exhausted Prompto looked. He felt somewhat responsible for it, after all. Prompto had probably kept himself awake in case Noctis had needed him during the nights.

He was the kind of person who would think about something like that and he was self-sacrificial to a fault.

That last thought made Noctis worry even more. He didn’t want to think of Prompto giving up his life for any of them, but especially not him. 

Prompto still looked tired the next morning. Saying they were going to bed early didn’t necessarily mean they were going to sleep. But everyone had too much to do; they had to make sure they had everything together while ensuring Gladiolus and Iris would still have enough for themselves. Gladiolus wouldn’t risk going out for anything while it was only the two of them.

Ignis had of course accounted for it all and calculated everything to the finest detail. Noctis thought that maybe they should keep an eye on him and how much he threw himself into work like this, but that had always been how Ignis functioned. He had to know exactly what was going to happen and what was needed for it.

Of course the outside world was as unpredictable as ever, but Ignis would control what he could. It was kind of comforting, as long as he wasn’t working himself to exhaustion over it.

Iris was still decidedly not talking to her brother, but Noctis had heard Gladiolus assure Ignis he would talk to her when everyone was gone. This wouldn’t completely destroy their relationship, and Noctis had always known them to be so close. It was strange to see them fight.  
But maybe that was just how siblings worked. Noctis wouldn’t know. He had fought with Gladiolus a lot when they were younger, but that didn’t mean Noctis ever actually disliked him.

The closer they got to leaving, the higher tensions seemed to be. This was more than a regular supply run and there was a threat out there that they hadn’t properly assessed yet. Prompto had been right – there were a lot more risks this time and a larger group meant more people to keep track of.

Noctis just hoped it would work in their favour. Maybe if he hoped enough, he could actually believe it.

It seemed none of them slept well that night, but there was no time to stand around and complain about how tired they were. They couldn’t keep putting this off, not while the Niflheim forces seemed to move in with each passing day.

So they said their goodbyes to Gladiolus and Iris and Ignis gave them one last pointed look before the group gathered their supplies together.

It was time to move.  
 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess I'm coming back to this after getting a new job and taking 20 years off from it oops
> 
> I know the last two chapters have been super filler-y but there's a lot more planned for the next one! Stay tuned kids
> 
> [Come talk to me](http://ferreho-writes.tumblr.com)

**Author's Note:**

> Come scream at me: ferreho-writes.tumblr.com


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